Sunshine (Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x OC)

Chapter 16

"Evening ladies" Rooster greeted us as we found him at the busy bar. Trace ordered a drink for herself and I as we sat on the stools next to Rooster.

"Roos, you want to know who the best is? That's him. Hangman." Pheonix pointed across the bar to where he was flirting with a woman and having a drink with a smirk across his face. "That's the way he flies, always leaves you hanging" She continued as Penny gave us our drinks.

"Hey, hey, Slick. Thought you wanted to be a pilot, man. What happened?" I asked when we found Anderson walking by.

"Sunshine, you're such a dickhead. Whose butt did you kiss to get in here?" He asked back with a grin, bringing back our joking attitudes from the academy.

"Okay, that's enough" Rooster tried to break it up, knowing I was not in the right mind space to be joking around with insults.

"Well, the list is long but distinguished." I came back confidently, getting back to my normal self slightly, even if the others were still worried.

"Yeah, well, so is my johnson." he finished his shot in one gulp.

"So you're flying with Hangman?" I inquired, Rooster and Pheonix watching with interest as I got more information on the competition with ease.

"It's Mr hangman to you." Slick corrected.

"Hey, Pheonix. How's it going?" Hangman shook Traces hand as he joined us.

"Good, Jake" She replied.

"This is Bradley Bradshaw and Nicole Danvers. Jake Sersin" Trace introduced us all to each other.

"Congratulations on Top Gun." Hangman grinned.

"Thank you." Rooster shook his hand.

"Sorry to hear about Yankee. He and I were like brothers in flight school. He was a good man." Hangman claimed.

"Still is a good man." I corrected.

"Yeah, that's what I meant." Hangman claimed.

'Thought so." I muttered into my beer.

"Say, you need any help?" Hangman got up close to Rooster.

"With what?"

"You figured it out yet?"

"What's that?"

"Who's the best pilot." Hangman elaborated with a wide cocky grin.

"No, I think I can figure that one out on my own." Rooster replied calmly.

"I heard that about you. You like to work alone, well at least with this lady by your side." Hangman nodded towards me.

"Rooster, you must've soloed under a lucky star? I mean, first the MiG, and then you guys slide into Yankees's spot." Coyote came up beside Hangman and gave his comment.

"We didn't slide into Yankee's spot. It was ours, okay?" Bradshaw corrected.

"Yeah, well, some pilots wait their whole career just to see a MiG up close. Guess you guys are lucky and famous huh?" Coyote finished his drink off.

"No, you mean notorious." Hangman corrected his buddy, finishing his drink as well, leaving it on the counter for Penny to clean up. "I'll see you later." Hangman smirked as he walked away.

"You can count on it." Rooster replied in the same cocky tone.

"They were abused children." I commented from the side , Pheonix and Rooster both smiling at me.

"We're gonna have a good time." Pheonix said.

"Always." I clinked my beer bottle with hers as we looked out at the crowd of people in the bar, mostly pilots.